Heel-spring for boots or shoes.



No. 631,683. Patented- Aug. 22, I899,

a. E. SWAN.

HEEL SPRING FOR BOUTS 0R SHOES.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: //y 01? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. SWAN, OF BEAVER DAM, WISCONSIN.

HEEL-SPRING FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,683, dated August22, 1899. Application filed September 22, 1898- Serial No. 691,643. (Nomodel.)

T0 to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,- GEORGE E. SWAN, residing at Beaver Dam, in thecounty of Dodge and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and ImprovedHeel-Spring for Boots or Shoes, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention, which relates generally to an improved construction ofspring impact device for shoe and boot heels, having for its purpose tolessen the jar when the heel is placed upon the ground in walking andgiving the heel an upward impulse as the weight is being transmitted tothe ball of the foot, in its more specific nature refers to improvementson a similar device patented by me May 31, 1898, No. 604,805.

In the practical application of my patented spring-heel device I havefound the results not all that is desired, for the reason that the bodyor supporting portion of the device, being in the nature of a singleflat disk adapt ed to be held on the heelby screws or spurs, does notprovide such a permanentand rigid support for the slug ortread-block asis necessary to efiect thebest results.- Furthermore, as the tread-blockhas an elongated wedge shape I have found that should the heel be set ata lateral inclined angle (which is frequently the case) a twist orlateral strain is effected on the said tread-block which has thetendency not alone to impart a pull strain on the bottom or disk member,and thereby weaken its securing means, but also wears the tread-blockirregular in such shape as to render a uniform springy action thereof atall angles of the tread or impact of the heel im possible. Again, thepeculiar form of the tread-block and the coil-spring disclosed in mypatent referred to does not admit of the most economical and stableconstruction. My present invention,which has the same objects in view ofthe device disclosed in the said Patent No. 604,805, seeks to provide amore economical and stable construction of such device which can be themore quickly fitted and securely held on the heel and which willeffectively operate to take up the shock irrespective of the angle(longitudinal or transversely) at which the heel is set.

My invention therefore comprehends, first, a novel construction ofspring-heel device in which the tread-block and the spring members arecapable of being so fitted into the heel without the aid of screws,spurs, or analogous means and capable of being rigidlyheld in placeirrespective of the manner in which the heel is set or of wear on' thesame, and, secondly, this invention comprehends a combined holding andbuifer means for the spring and tread-block, embodying a main spring,which acts as the bufferto take upthe shock, and a supplemental spring,which while also acting as a bufier more particularly serves to returnthe tread-block to its proper position on the holder, said tread-blockalso having a novel construction and corelation with the holder, wherebyit is capable of self-adjustment laterally and about its own axis andwherebyit will effect the same uniform pressure on the buffer-spring nomatter at which side or angle it may be depressed by the heel and bywhich its movement can in no way affect the securing means for holdingthe entire device on the heel.

In its subordinate features the invention comprises the novel details ofconstruction and peculiar combination of parts, as will hereinafter bedescribed, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1illustrates my invention as applied to the heel of a shoe. Fig. 2 is asection of the heel with my devices applied and showing the partsthereof in their normal position. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing thetreadblock as impacting on a forwardly-inclined surface. Fig. 4: isahorizontal section thereof on the line 4 4. of Fig. 2'. Fig. 5 is aninverted view of the spring devices detached, and Fig. 6 illustrates theseveral parts constituting my improved device in detail.

. My present form of heel-spring devices comprise a cylindrical casing1, which in practice ismade of. different sizes and of less height thanthesize of the heel to which they are to be applied. The casing 1 hasthe same diameter throughout, its lower end terminating in an integralbottom plate2 and its upper end being open, as shown in Fig.- 6. Thebottom plate 2 has a central openingflgwhich in practice is of asomewhat larger diameter than the impact or slug end 5 of the treadblock8, which end in the present structure is circular in horizontal sectionand has its loweredges rounded to the more readily slip overobstructions in dragging the heel and also to avoid sharp edges. Thetread-block 3 has a disk portion 3 of a less diameter than the diameterof the casing 1, in which it plays; but it is made wider than theopening 2, said block also having a central boss 3 on its upper face,the purpose of which will presently appear.

4 indicates a main or buffer spring which consists of a stout coil woundso its normal expansible tension will be practically at its limit whenthe parts are at their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby toavoid the tendency of forcing the casing out from the heel-socket. Thespring 4 is coiled to snugly fit within the casing and to rest on theouter edge of the disk portion 3 the upper end of such spring being heldto bear against a top plate 5, which is fitted in the open upper end ofthe casing after the spring at and spring 6, presently described, arefitted within such casing, said top plate being held from moving out ofthe casing-top by upsetting or swaging the upper end of the casing, asindicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

In fitting my device-t0 the heel a socket is cut in such heel bysuitable boring-tool of substantially the diameter and height of thecasing 1, which casing is then pressed into the socket until its bottom2 is flush with the lower edge of the heel, it being manifest that whenonce driven in the heel the elasticity of the surrounding walls of theheel-socket will cause the said socket to firmly grip the casing andhold it from coming out.

So far as described it will be readily apparent that should the pressureon the treadblock be substantially vertical the compression on thespring 4 would be a substantially uniform one; but should the pressureon the said tread-block be at an angle, as indicated in Fig. 3, thecompression of the spring 4: would be irregular and a free or properplay of the tread-block, particularly so when returning to its normalposition, might under some circumstances be retarded.

To obtain the full buffer action of the spring at under all conditionsand to positively provide for the tread-block properly returning to itsnormal position, I provide a supplemental spring 6 of a much smallerdiameter and less tension than the spring t, the lower end of suchspring 6 engaging the disk 3 and seating about the boss thereon, whilethe upper end thereof bears against the top plate and seats about acentral pendent boss 5, forming a part of such plate. The spring 6, itwill be observed, while also serving the function of a buffer-springmore particularly acts as a fulcrum on which the tread-block can gyrate,and thereby properly distributing the strain on the main buffer-spring 4no matter which side of it may be depressed in its engagement with theground or door, said movement of the tread-block being made pos sible byreason of its disk portion being of a less diameter than the casing inwhich it plays and its head or slug member of a less diameter than theopening 2 in the bottom 2 of the casing.

Another and important ad vantage attained by making the head or slug ofthe member 3 smaller than the opening 2 is that by being held free ofcontact with the bottom 2 under substantially all conditions of movementthere will be no lateral or twist strain on the casing, which might byreason of such continuous strain be loosened in its socket and itsfastening thereby be made insecure.

By arranging the several parts as described the device can beconstructed at a minimum cost and requires no skill whatever in applyingit to the heel of a boot or shoe.

By holding the tread-block and bufferspring as described all lateral ortwist strain on the whole casing is avoided and the said block held fora universal movement both as to its rotary and lateral action.

I am aware that, broadly, it is not new to provide a tread-block havinga heifer-spring attached and held in a socket in the heel, as suchconstruction is disclosed in Patent No. 255,871,dated April 4, 1882. Inthis patent the block is fixedly attached to the spiral spring, does nothave a universal movement, is not self-adjusting, and does not moveindependent of bearing against the side walls of the heel-socket inwhich it plays.

I am also aware of Patent No. 554,988, dated February 18, 1896, and Itherefore broadly make no claim which covers the construction disclosedtherein or in Patent No. 255,871; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device for the purposes described,comprising a hollow casingadapted to be fitted into a correspondingly-shaped socket formed in theheel to which it is to be attached, said casing having a bottom having acentral opening; a tread-block comprising a disk or head portion,vertically and rotatably movable within the casing and having anintegral slug or impact member projected through the opening in thecasing-bottom, and a buffer-spring held within the casing to rest on thetreadblock as specified.

2. Adevice forthe purposes described,con1- prising a hollow casingadapted to fit a socket in the heel, said casing having its bottomformed with a center opening; a pressurespring held in the casing and atread-block having a slug portion projected through the opening in thecasing-bottom, said block being held between the spring and thecasingbottom, but disconnected therefrom,whereby it is capable of movinglaterally and rotatably, substantially as shown and for the purposesdescribed.

3. A device for the purposes described; com-.

prising a casing adapted to be fitted in the socket of the heel andhaving a bottom central aperture; a tread-block comprising a diskportion of less diameter than the casing and having a slug or treadmember of less diameter than the casing-bottom aperture; a main coilbuffer-spring seated in the casing to bear against the outer edge of thetread-block and a second coil-spring held to bear centrally on the saidtread-block, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

' 4. As a new article of man ufaotnre; a spring tread attachment forheels; comprisin gacasing formed of acup-shaped body having its bottomcentrally apertured; a treadblock consisting of a disk portion of a lessdiameter than the cup-shaped body, having an integral pendent circulartread or slug member adapted to extend through the openin g in thecasing-bottom and being of less diameter than such opening, and acentral boss as a yielding fulcrum or center bearing for the tread-blockas it is moved laterally or rotated.

GEORGE E. SWAN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. MILLER, THEO. G. HUTH.

